


Like Riding a Bike

by Trinadecker



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/F, Gen, everything i write has a bit of swan queen, mostly gen with a touch of swan queen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-13
Updated: 2020-12-13
Packaged: 2021-03-10 20:40:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,974
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28043319
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Trinadecker/pseuds/Trinadecker
Summary: Emma finds out that Henry and Regina never learned to ride bikes, and takes it upon herself to teach them. Inspired by a tumblr post from swanqueensalad!“Mom didn’t teach me because she doesn’t know how either.” Henry had a sheepish grin on his face now, and Regina stiffened at the comment.“You don’t know how?” Emma stared at her incredulously.Regina sighed, closing her laptop for good, resigned that her work would have to continue later. “No, Miss Swan, I do not know how to ride a bike. Where I grew up there were none, as you may recall.”
Relationships: Evil Queen | Regina Mills & Henry Mills, Evil Queen | Regina Mills & Snow White | Mary Margaret Blanchard, Evil Queen | Regina Mills/Emma Swan, Henry Mills & Emma Swan
Comments: 4
Kudos: 83





	Like Riding a Bike

“We could, I don’t know, go for a walk or something. Go on a bike ride. Plant a vegetable garden. Fly some kites, I don’t know. Just, something outside.” Emma kicked her feet up on the coffee table as she spoke. They’d just finished brunch, and while it was nice to spend time with the whole family -- Henry, her parents, ...and Regina, too, because that’s what she was now, family -- Sunday brunch was getting old. Spending time in Mary Margaret and David’s  _ tiny loft  _ was getting old. The space just wasn’t big enough for four adults and an increasingly large teenager, and suddenly the great outdoors sounded appealing. 

“I don’t know how to ride a bike,” Henry pitched in from his spot across the couch, “So we could do any of those except that.” 

Emma raised a brow. “You’re fourteen, kid. How do you not know how to ride a bike?”

He shrugged. “Mom never taught me.” 

Emma whipped around to face Regina, who was seated at the tiny dining table, a cup of tea in hand while she tapped away at her laptop. “You never taught Henry to ride a bike? What kind of parent doesn’t teach their kid to ride a bike?”

Regina fixed her with a glare, tilting the screen of her laptop down ever so slightly. “I hardly think that teaching a child to ride a bike is the determining factor for good parenting.” 

“Even I learned,” The blonde countered. 

“Mom didn’t teach me because she doesn’t know how either.” Henry had a sheepish grin on his face now, and Regina stiffened at the comment. 

“You don’t know how?” Emma stared at her incredulously. 

Regina sighed, closing her laptop for good, resigned that her work would have to continue later. “No, Miss Swan, I do not know how to ride a bike. Where I grew up there were none, as you may recall.” 

“Okay, but you didn’t ever learn during your 28-year groundhog day in Storybrooke?” 

“It never occurred to me.” 

Emma frowned, turning towards her mother. “Mom, do you know how to ride a bike?” 

“Yes, I do.” Mary Margaret paused from the stack of dishes she was currently collecting. “Although I honestly don’t remember how I learned.” She shrugged. “A curse memory, I suppose.” 

“Same here,” David chimed in from the kitchen. 

“So let me get this straight,” Emma began, meeting Regina’s gaze with equal challenge. “You cursed the rest of the townsfolk to be able to ride bikes, but not yourself?” 

Regina sighed. “I didn’t write the curse, Miss Swan. I simply...tweaked it a little, and then enacted it. You can ask Gold about that one.” 

“I don’t think I will.” Emma muttered. “Hm. Well, I’m going to teach you, Henry.” She nudged his leg with her foot as she spoke and he beamed at her. 

“Really?” 

“Yes, really,” She confirmed, turning back towards Regina, who had opened her laptop again and was attempting to bury herself back in her work. “And you too, Your Majesty.” 

Regina gaped at her, brows raised. “There’s no way in hell you’re getting me on one of those contraptions, let alone  _ teaching _ me anything. Besides, do you even own one?” 

Emma frowned. “No, but --” 

“Oh, you can use ours!” Mary Margaret exclaimed, rushing towards the other side of the loft. “David and I each have one -- they’d be perfect!”

“Where the hell do you keep a bike in this tiny apartment?” Regina called, just as Mary Margaret threw open a closet door and, after some clanging, wheeled out a baby blue bike with a powder pink helmet dangling off the handlebar.

“In that closet,” She explained unnecessarily. 

“Oh, that settles it. We’re going. Now.” Emma sprang off the couch and crossed the loft. She pulled the helmet off the handle, holding it up. “Just your color, Regina.” 

The brunette wrinkled her nose. “My colors are anything but, thank you very much.”

“David’s helmet is blue,” Mary Margaret supplied. “You could wear his?” 

“I call grandpa’s helmet!” Henry called, jumping off the couch and racing into the closet behind the two women and wheeling out the other bike, which was an unoffending silver in color and slightly taller than the other frame. “I’m taller than you now anyway, mom.” 

“I’m not getting on that thing,” Regina insisted, though her resolve was faltering under her son’s gaze.

“Please, mom?” Henry asked, enthusiasm in his voice cracking just a bit. “It’ll be more fun as a family.” 

Regina sighed, her eyes softening into something warm that reserved for her son alone. “Alright, fine.” Her gaze hardened again as she turned back to Emma, but only a bit. “If you get either of us injured --” 

Emma held up a hand, cutting her protests off. “Relax, ‘Gina, I’m an excellent teacher.” 

“Don’t call me that.” Regina stood from her seat, pushing the chair in as she headed for the door. “Emma, bring that blue monstrosity down for me, would you?” 

“Okay, it’s all in the pedals. Just keep moving, look ahead, and you won’t fall. Don’t think too hard about trying to balance. Squeeze the little lever on the handlebar for the brakes, but make sure you’re ready to put your feet on the ground if you stop.”   
Henry was sat atop David’s bike -- helmet securely fastened to Regina’s satisfaction, of course -- and Emma had a hand around his back to steady him. He nodded, placing his feet on the pedals. 

“Go slow at first, I’m gonna keep you steady.” Emma nodded as Henry pushed off gently, propelling himself forward at a snail’s pace. He wobbled ever so slightly, but overall he was fairly steady. “Good!” Emma let her hands go for a moment. 

“Wait, Ma--”

“You’re okay, Henry. You’re doing great. I’m right here.” And she was, following him with hands extended, ready to catch him. 

He hit the breaks, and Emma grabbed his shoulders, steadying him as he came to a stop. 

“That was really good, kid. You’ll be a pro in no time.” Henry descended the bike and wheeled it back towards David, absolutely beaming as his grandfather cheered for him. Emma turned to where Regina was standing, holding up the  _ blue monstrosity _ as she’d called it. The baby pink helmet sat atop her head unfastened, looking ridiculous against her severe makeup and tailored jeans. She’d changed her shoes for the occasion, swapping professional heels for a pair of Emma’s sneakers with a  _ lot _ of reluctance. “Your turn, ‘Gina.” Regina scowled at the nickname. 

“I told you not to call me that.” 

“Yeah, well.” Emma skirted up to the other woman, reaching out and bucking the helmet beneath her chin before Regina could object. “I’ve told you not to call me Miss Swan, and you still do that.” Emma tightened the straps, acutely aware of how close the action had brought her to the brunette. “How’s that feel?” 

“Fine,” Regina answered, voice tight. 

“Good,” Emma breathed, before stepping back. “Okay. Your turn.” She gestured towards the bike. 

“You already said that,” Regina replied, swinging one leg over the bike so that she was straddling the frame.

“Yeah, well.” Emma repeated, and Regina didn’t push the subject further. “Get up on the seat. Don’t worry, I’ll keep you steady.” She reassured the other woman, one hand on the handle of the bike and another resting on her lower back. “I won’t let you fall.” 

Regina glanced over at her at that, lips parted, eyes flitting over Emma’s face as if searching for something. “Is that so?” Was all she said. 

“Right,” Emma whispered. “No. I mean --” She shook herself out of it, fully aware that her parents were just a few feet away, witness to everything. “Okay. Anyways. You were watching Henry, right?”

Regina nodded, and with that the spell was broken. “I saw, yes.” 

“Okay,” Emma repeated. “Like I told him, it’s all in the pedals. You’re, uh, going to have to get on the seat.” 

“Right.” Regina obeyed, sliding back onto the seat and putting her feet tentatively on the pedals. “Like this?” 

“Yeah.” Emma offered her a tiny smile. “You’re a natural.” 

The brunette rolled her eyes. “And you’re a fantastic teacher, Miss Swan.” She offered, only a  _ tiny _ bit of sarcasm to her words. 

“Hey, I thought I told you to stop calling me that,” Emma replied, fake offense lacing her tone.

“And I told you not to call me Gina.” Regina shot back, a small smile at the corner of her lips. 

“Are you guys going to stop flirting and get to the bike riding or what? I swear.” Henry called from across the lot. 

The two women jumped apart, Emma holding Regina at arm’s length in order to continue keeping her steady. They looked up to see Henry pedalling around the lot, unassisted though wobbly. 

“You’re doing fantastic,” Regina called, opting not to address the other part of his comment.

Emma did the same. “Great job, kid!” 

Henry only rolled his eyes, and Emma didn’t miss the look that Mary Margaret and David shot one another. 

“Okay.” Emma stepped back towards Regina, stabilizing her grip on the other woman and her bike. “Just, push down on the pedals, okay?” 

Regina nodded, obeying the instructions and propelling herself forward ever so slowly. 

“Good, you’re doing great.”

“Don’t patronize me, Emma.”

“I meant it.”

Regina glanced over at her, bike wobbling beneath her as she did, but Emma was there to keep her steady. “Thanks,” She all but whispered, before turning her gaze back to the road ahead and pushing harder down on the pedals.

“Welcome,” Emma whispered, letting her hands drift away from the other woman as she gained a bit of speed. “See? It’s not so bad.” 

Regina didn’t answer, only pedalling harder, speeding up. 

“Hey, wait --” Emma chased after her. A branch was in her path, and -- 

Regina began to wobble -- 

“Oh, shit --” Emma dashed forward, catching the brunette by the waist as she slid off the seat of the bike, her feet finally making contact with the asphalt. 

“Thanks,” Regina breathed, her eyes wide. 

“No problem.” Emma stepped away, confident that the other woman now had her balance. “Just, take it easy. It takes time.” 

“Right.” Regina swallowed, swinging her leg off the bike and wheeling it back towards the apartment building. 

“Mom!” Henry called as they approached. “Mom, Ma, look!” 

He was pedalling around in circles, dodging tiny fallen twigs and stones in the lot. 

“You’re doing fantastic, Henry!” Regina called, and he beamed. “At least he’s exercising,” She muttered, low enough that only Emma could hear it.

“So you admit it was a good idea?” Emma raised a brow, and Regina shot her a look. 

“Okay, maybe. Only for  _ him _ , though. David seems to have taught him a lot.” 

Emma pouted. “Oh, please. I’m a great teacher. It was all me.” She elbowed the brunette. “Besides, you were going pretty fast there for a minute.” 

Regina rolled her eyes. “And I almost killed myself on that branch.”

“Please. I was there to catch you.” Emma stopped, grabbing the brunette’s elbow and bring her to a halt as well. She drew in a deep breath before speaking, meeting the other woman’s eyes. “I told you, I’m not going to let you fall. Not on your own, anyway. Not without catching you.” 

Regina swallowed, staring at her for a moment, before Henry’s voice broke the spell. 

“Maybe we could make this a weekly thing?” He called, eyes shining. 

“I suppose we could,” Regina conceded, turning back towards the blonde, her cheeks slightly flushed. “After brunch, maybe.” 

“Sure.” Emma nodded. “Yeah, that sounds nice.” 

“That would be great!” Henry added, beaming as he glanced at his grandparents, who were nodding in agreement. “We’ll be experts in no time, mom.” 

Regina chucked. “I’m sure we will, Henry.” 


End file.
